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This creamy chicken tomato pasta is made using only one pot and is ready in about 30 minutes. Easy, staple ingredients like canned tomatoes are the star of this weeknight dinner recipe.
Want more one pot pasta recipes? Try my Stove Top Lasagna next.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Pantry Staples – I love that this chicken tomato pasta recipe uses staple ingredients like pasta, simple spices, and canned tomatoes.
- Ready in 35 Minutes – A filling pasta recipe that can be on the table FAST!
- Creamy Sauce – Adding heavy cream to the tomato sauce makes it extra comforting.
recipe walk-through
Ingredients
- Linguine Pasta – Make sure to reserve some of the starchy pasta water after cooking the pasta.
- Chicken Tenders or Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – You can even swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
- San Marzano Tomato Sauce – If you can’t find them in the form of tomato sauce you can use crushed or whole tomatoes, and crush them yourself in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher or puree them with a stick blender.
- Heavy Cream – This adds just the right amount of creaminess to the sauce. If you don’t have cream on hand, you can also use half and half or even melt in some cream cheese to the sauce.
How To Make This Chicken Tomato Pasta
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Cook Pasta – Cook the pasta in boiling water until al dente and reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water before draining.
Season Chicken – Toss the chicken with the spices to evenly coat.
Cook Chicken – After the pasta is cooked and drained, return the same empty pot to the stove and heat over medium-high with the oil and butter. Cook the chicken until browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. Set aside.
Make the Sauce – Saute the garlic and tomato paste for about 30 seconds, then reduce the heat and add the tomato sauce, ¼ cup pasta water, and the chicken. Simmer for 6-8 minutes then stir in the cream and add in cooked pasta. Toss to combine and heat through.
Enjoy – Serve with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil.
Storage Tips
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Due to the cream in the sauce, I prefer to reheat servings in a skillet on the stove over low-medium heat, adding a little more water or even cream to loosen things up.
Expert Tips
- San Marzano Tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes are the best choice for this sauce, as they have a naturally balanced flavor with more sweetness and less acidity. If you can’t find the San Marzano variety you can add in a teaspoon or two of sugar or a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to help bring balance and neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Pasta Shape – You can use other long pasta shapes such as spaghetti or fettuccine. You could also use short shapes that have lots of grooves to trap the sauce such as rotini or fusilli.
- Why Pasta Water? Adding in pasta water helps to thicken the sauce and add starch so it sticks to the pasta.
- Sauce Thickness – The sauce will thicken as it stands. Once it’s cooled, add a splash of water or chicken broth to loosen it back up for reheating.
- Make It Spicy – For a spicy kick, try adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes when you saute the garlic and tomato paste.
- Add Some Greens – Try stirring in some baby spinach when you add back the cooked pasta so the spinach wilts into the sauce.
More Pasta Recipes
- Shrimp and Tomato Pasta
- Baked Chicken Parm
- Ravioli Lasagna
- Pasta and Peas
- One Pan Lemon Garlic Pasta
One Pot Creamy Tomato Chicken Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Linguine
- 1 pound Chicken tenders or breast sliced
- 1 tablespoon Light olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 14.5 ounces San Marzano tomato sauce
- 1 cup Heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, boil pasta until al dente, drain and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, place the chicken in a medium bowl and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium-high heat and add olive oil and butter once heated. Saute the chicken until browned and mostly cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- In the pot, saute garlic and tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomato sauce, ¼ cup pasta water and chicken and bring to a simmer for 6-8 minutes.
- Stir in the cream and add the cooked pasta and return to a simmer, tossing to combine and heat through. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese and freshly chopped basil, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
